aibson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. GIBSON.

BELL BUOY.

No. 448,222. Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

witnessesz- F, Im/enhr' I [I (37X. 12042404 by after-01816.

(No Model.)

J. GIBSON.

BELL IBUOY.

Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I m/anionrm: "cams Pnzns 420., mom-mun, wisumc'ruu, n.c.

, bell 0, supported by the rod 0.

Nrrnn Status l nrnur rrren,

JASPER GIBSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

B E L- e u 0v.

1 SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448.222, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed July 23, 1890. Serial No. 359,712- (No model.) Patented in England December 18,1888,N0.18,4=99, and. July 22, 1889,1I0. 11,670; in France February 19,1889; in Italy February 21, 1889,1l0. 26,983/1'7'7, and in Germany October T0 CLZZ whom it .may concern.-

Be it known that I, JASPER GIBSON, solicitor, of 51 Lincolns Inn Fields, London, in the county of London, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Bell- Euoys, (patented in Great Britain December- 18, 1888, No. 18,499, and July 22,1889, No. 11,070; in Germany October26, 1889; in France February 19, 1889, and in Italy Februaryil, 1889, N 26,983/17'7,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in bell-buoys; and the object is to provide better and more eflectual means than at present exist for warning those in charge of vessels of their proximity to danger or to any given point or line indicated by abell-buoy or hellbuoys in calm or foggy weather, and this independently of any tidal or other stream.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, I have hereto annexed sheets of drawings illustrative thereof.

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a buoy with my apparatus attached. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical section thereof, and Fig. 4 a detail of the cam G.

A is the floating body of the buoy, to the sides or deck of which are bolted or other wise secured bars B, which extend upward in a converging manner and finally meet in a central hub B, to which may be fixed the usual indicating-cage.

The alarm apparatus consists, first, of a This bell is provided with a clapper C the stem of which is fixed to the deck of the buoy at c. As this bell is destined for action in calm weather, during which no waves are formed to agitate ordinary clappers or storm-bells, the motive power for raising the clapper C mustbe derived from slight undulation of the surface of thewater, and as single undulations are incompetent to produce the desired effect- I have had to devise means wherebythe power of successive undulations can be accumulated until sufficient power has been stored up to remove the clapper the necessary distance from the bell.

The motive power for actuating the bellclapper is derived, primarily, from a float located in the center of the buoy, and the use of this float necessitates modifications in the construction of the buoyitself.

At or near theline of flotation of the buoy I form a series of covered water-ways or channels, preferably (four in number,) which water-ways lead into a well or recess formed inside the buoy and capable of holding sufficient water to support a floating body of sul'flcient buoyancy to work the apparatus now to be described.

The float D, hereinbefore referredto, floats in the central well (Z and rises and falls upon the spindle l, a, sleeve E being fixed to the upper side of the float to prevent the same from binding on the spindle.

At the upper end of the sleeve E is a disk E, on which rests the end of a lever F, fulerumed at f to an extension of the framevork F. This frame-work supports a shaft, on which are mounted a ratchet-wheel G and. a two-fall cam G, on the periphery of which rests a stud G ,which projects from the stem of the clapper G The longer arm of the lever F carries a pawl f, which engages with the ratchet-wheel G in such manner that at each oscillation of the lever F caused by the rise of the float, the pawl will cause the ratchetwheel to revolve to the extent of one or more teeth, and this motion will also be'imparted to the cam G, whereby the clapper (3 will be gradually raised until it reaches the summit of one of the wipers, after which it will drop upon the bell, commencing to rise again with the next elevation of the float.

In addition to the above described, other contrivances may be employed, whereby the rising-and-falling motion of the float may be so made use of as to ring the bell, or whereby the same may be caused to ring.

For the purpose of enabling one buoy to be distinguished from another, the bell of each buoy may have a distinctive tone, and in addition to the one bell hereinbefore described two or more bells of different musical tone or pitch similarly actuated may be combined on the same buoy.

In order to prevent a too violent act-ion of the float D, I provide stops (1, formed of india-rubber or other suitable material, which limit the action of the float to such an extent as may be found necessary or expedient.

In order to prevent the bell or any part of the apparatus connected therewith from be ing injured by the action of violent rushes of water entering any of the channels or waterways a, I provide each water-way with an automatic shutter, so that violent waves shall be prevented from gaining access to the said well. This automatic shutter, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, consists of a sheet of metal J, mounted on an axis or shaft j, which is free to revolve in bearings 7r, fixed to the deck of the buoy. This shutter is so counterbalanced by a weight K that it rests in an inclined po sition, leaving a space between the upper side of the shutter and the cover II of the waterway. \Vhen the water is only gently agitated, the waves can pass through the water-way beneath the shutter; but in case of violent agitations, causing the waves to completely fill the water-way, the volume of water filling the space between the top of the shutter and the cover of the water-way will completely depress the shutter and cut off the flowof water into the well. The line of flotation of the buoy should be so adjusted by means of water or other ballast that the water in calm weather will flow in through the water-ways to such a depth and in such a manner as to cause a sufficient motion of the water inside the said well as will give the necessary amount of rising-and-falling power to the floating body to actuate the bell mechanism. I sometimes find it useful or desirable to continue the well to a greater depth than is simply suiiicient to fairly support the float, and I may continue the said well or a conduit therefrom downward to the under side of the buoy, so that water may enter from underneath as well as through the lateral waterways. I prefer that the water ways or channels shall be wider at their openings at the outside of the buoy than at their ends nearest the well, and I also prefer that the water ways or channels shall be so constructed that there shall be a rather greater depth of water in them at their outer ends than at their-inner ends. So as to prevent thesaid water ways or channelsfrom admitting sea-weed or other obstructive substances into the said well,I furnish each of the outer openings of the water-ways with a suitable protection in the form of gratin g or Wire lattice-work L, (see Fig. 1,) the opening on the under side of the buoy being similarly protected. The under opening of the said well has a twofold object: (a) to admit thereto any motion of the sea under the surface level thereof and at the level at which the bottom of the buoy may float, and (b) to provide an exit for any sand,

grit, or other accumulations which may find an entrance into the said well.

In order to exclude any sea-weed or other obstructive materials from entering thesaid well or from obtaining access to the bell mechanism, I propose that the said well and such apparatus shall be covered in such a manner and with such material as may be best adapted for the purpose of allowing thesound from the bell to be suiliciently heard, but at the same time to exclude any sea-weed or other obstructive materials. i

The following is what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, namely:

1. In a buoy, the combination, with the frame B, bell O, and hub B, of an inside chamber having a float therein adapted to rise and fall with the u ndulation of the waves, and rod C, attached to and forming a means of connection between the above-mentioned parts,

substantially as set forth.

2. In a buoy, the combination of the body having the chamber (Z and water-ways leading to the same, a bell carried by the buoy, a float within said chamber, and mechanism operated by said float to strike the bell, sub-- stantially as described.

3. In a buoy, the combination, with the bell, rod 0', the float mounted on said rod and provided with plate E, of the clapper C having its supporting-arm fastened to the deck of the buoy, and connections between the float and said clapper, whereby the latter is caused to ring the bell, substantially as set forth.

4. In a bell-buoy provided with a float having a supporting-arm a, bell C, and plate E, the combination of cam-wheel G, cog-wheel G, clapper C and connections between said parts, whereby when the float is moved the clapper strikes the bell, substantially as set forth.

5. In a bell-buoy, the combination,with the main body of the buoy and bell supported thereby, of a rod G,a float D, mounted on the rod, striking mechanism connected with the float, a frame-piece forlimiting the movement of the float, and a stop d, interposed between the float and said frame-piece, substantially as described.

6. In a buoy, the combination of the body having the chamber (1 and water-ways lead- -ing to the same, of a bell carried by the buoy,

a float within said chamber, mechanism operated by said float to strike the bell,and shutters applied to the said water-ways for closing the latter against violent rushes of water, substantially as described.

JASPER GIBSON. \Vitnesses:

A. J. ELI, FRANK. HUGHES,

6 Chancery Lane, London, IV. C. 

